Great Lake Swimmers @ The Highline Ballroom

Tony Dekker is an amazing singer with amazing songs and he proved that once again last night. I know it sounds corny, but Tony just takes you to another place when he is performing with his voice that is both haunting and captivating.

Great Lake Swimmers @ Highline Ballroom (10/02/07)

I still cannot get over the fact that he was outrageously and outlandishly snubbed by Candian music critics by not being nominated for the Polaris Prize.

Richard Buckner (who amazingly still calls Merge home) played as if he didn’t care the audience wasn’t there and then ended with his set with a giant FU to us all by taking all of his equipment offstage during the fadeout to his last song. Other than his song lyrics, he didn’t utter a word to the crowd.

Check out a video of “Moving Pictures, Silent Films” live after the jump.

Great Lake Swimmers @ The Highline Ballroom (10/02/07)

Moving Pictures, Silent Films

If I had any beefs with last night’s show, it was with the club’s policy not the bands. The (not vigilantly enforced) $10 (per person, per set) minimum was a certainly a little steep for more liking. I don’t have any real problem with a two drink minimum at a cabaret style establishment, Joe’s Pub does it, and I’m fine with it. But, if you’re already charging $15 for tickets, tacking on additional $30 to see all three bands is no way to make friends with the NYC concertgoing public (especially when you are relatively new venue). I would be remiss though, if I didn’t mention, that you could also choose to stand for all three sets and thereby avoid the club imposed minimum.

Last night, the venue was set up entirely for seated patrons (I’d imagine the venue could be be made into a standing only show if the center tables were put away). The $10 minimum was kind of loosely enforced as far as I could tell. Frankly, I think the bands were a little embarassed by it too, Tony even offered to sell GLS CD’s for $10 instead of the customary $15 (ostensibly to thank people for paying the bar minimum).